Peace Economy Protest Media Coverage - Pt. 2

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20081101/NEWS/81101025

Anti-war protesters call for peace economy

By Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press • November 1, 2008

MONTPELIER — Three days before the presidential election, anti-war activists rallied in front of the Statehouse on Saturday calling for an end to the war and a continued fight for change after Nov. 4.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain support increased military spending at a time when there's an incredible economic crisis, said Eugene Jarecki of Waitsfield.

"There's a moment of real crossroads here," he said. "But it's a crossroad for all of us not to be happy and go to bed but for all of us to be absolutely unrelenting and dissatisfied until real change happens."

About 50 demonstrators marched down State Street to the Statehouse led by a single drummer. They carried signs saying "Vermonters Say No to War," "Share the Wealth! Cut the Military Budget!" and "How Much Longer."

Organizers urged the state to pursue what they called a peace economy, and not give tax breaks to military weapons manufacturer General Dynamics of Burlington, which they said received $3 million in tax breaks last year.

"We don't want Vermont's taxpayer dollars going to war. We want it spent here to help with health care. There's over 60,000 Vermonters who don't have health care. That's where we need to be spending our money," said S'ra DeSantis of Burlington.

The event was attended by several Iraq war veterans, political candidates and University of Vermont Students Against War, who are working on a campaign for the school to divest from companies that build weapons systems for the U.S. military, including General Dynamics.

The demonstration was organized by the Vermont Peace Economy Coalition, whose mission is to work to promote a Vermont economy that advances social and economic justice, enriches the natural environment, enhances the ability of future generations to flourish and opposes business practices related to weapons and legislative policies that support the military industrial complex, representatives said.

"In the eve of the election we're asking all candidates to support a peace economy and not a war economy," said DeSantis.

Peace Economy Protest Media Coverage - Pt. 1

Associated Press - November 1, 2008 4:25 PM ET
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Three days before the presidential election, anti-war activists rallied in front of the Statehouse on Saturday calling for an end to the war and a continued fight for change after Nov. 4.

Demonstrators urged Vermont to pursue what they called a peace economy, and not give tax breaks to military weapons manufacturer General Dynamics of Burlington.

Eugene Jarecki of Waitsfield said Tuesday's election is a moment of real crossroads.

He said both Barack Obama and John McCain support increased military spending at a time when there's an incredible economic crisis.

He says the crossroads is for those against the war to be unrelenting and dissatisfied until real change happens.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

This Should Be Incredible

Peace Economy Protest: Montpelier, Vermont 11/1/08 1:30pm at the Statehouse

A day of education, community organizing, and legislative pressure to move Vermont away from supporting the military industrial complex, and towards a green, peacetime economy

Host: VT Peace Economy Coalition
Time and Place: Saturday, November 1, 2008 - 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Location: the Statehouse - 115 State St Montpelier, VT 05602
Street: State Street
City/Town: Montpelier, VT

Why in Vermont is their always "socialism for the rich" and never money for a Peace Economy?

Bring the family and friends, pack a sandwich and come to beautiful Montpelier to demand the Statehouse stop funding the Military Industrial Complex and start funding just, peacetime, sustainable jobs for Vermont's future.

I know you're probably thinking such cold hearted ideologues could never construct a Facebook page to get the message out, well buddy, you couldn't be more wrong.

Endorsed by: VT Peace Economy Coalition, Iraq Vets against the War, Peace and Justice Center, and American Friends Service Committee

Even More Media Coverage

Seven Days Coverage of 5/1/08 General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Link: http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2008/05/may-day-musings.html

May Day Musings

Posted by Mike Ives on May 06, 2008 at 02:49 PM in Serious News | Permalink

Last Thursday, May 1, thousands of workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in Los Angeles stopped working in protest of the Iraq War. The strike, according to Democracy Now!, was the largest since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

"It's astonishing and wildly encouraging that a West Coast labor union would show more guts and determination than the U.S. Congress," wrote a Los Angeles writer on the web newsletter CounterPunch, "in publicly defying a Republican administration."

Meanwhile, back in the only state president Bush hasn't visited, the Vermont AFL-CIO issued a statement of support for the striking West Coast workers. And on Saturday, May 3, the Old Labor Hall in Barre filled up a for a lecture by Amy and David Goodman.

Amy is the acclaimed host of labor-friendly Democracy Now! Her brother, a Waterbury resident, is a freelance journalist who's married to Democratic House Rep Sue Minter. Amy and David are now touring the country in support of their third co-written book, Standing Up to the Madness, which documents the work of unlikely citizen activists.

Like, for instance, Connecticut librarians who take on the Patriot Act.

On Saturday, before ceding the stage to his intrepid "big sister," David informed his audience that the Old Labor Hall's current name is incorrect. It used to include the word "socialist," he insisted. A UVM grad student essay confirms that the building, which was built in 1900, was originally named the "Socialist Party Labor Hall."

In other May Day news: Two local journalists had their reporting featured nationally. Benjamin Dangl's story on a recent protest at the General Dynamics facility in Burlington, "Vermont Students Join May 1 Protests," has been posted at The Nation's website. Dangl is the author, most recently, of The Price of Fire: Resource Wars and Social Movements in Bolivia. A video by Sam Mayfield, community relations coordinator at CCTV, was featured yesterday on — you guessed it — Democracy Now!

For more info about those two, check out Dangl's website and Mayfield's blog, Sam Land.

Moore Good News:

Michael Moore's website has linked to the Alternet coverage as well as Sam Mayfield's video from his website:
Peace Activists Occupy General Dynamics Weapons Plant (VIDEO); 10 arrested

Independent Media Coverage of Burlington General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Democracy Now coverage of the 5/1/08 Burlington, Vermont General Dynamics protest. The talented activists of this on going campaign sure knows how to grab headlines.

Please watch the Democracy Now coverage, organize your community around building a Peace Economy instead of War Profiteering, find your local war profiteer, and take them down! Here's a quick list of War Profiteers to start with: Boeing, Blackwater USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Electric, CSC/ DynCorp, Science Applications International Corporation, Raytheon, United Technologies, Halliburton, and Lockheed Martin.

Independent Media Coverage of Burlington General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Benjamin Danl's Article on the 5/1/08 Protest at General Dynamics Burlington WMD Development Facility is generating quite the buzz. Give it a read, it's pretty incredible journalism.

New 5/5/08: http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/84437/

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080519/dangl

http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/17531

http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/dangl030508.html

As you can see in the previous entry, formatting Dangl's article with Blogger's crude tools proved quite challenging. Sorry, Mr. Dangl.

Independent Media Coverage of Burlington General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Demmocracy Now Coverage
Alternet Coverage

Independent Journalist Sam Mayfield's Video Footage


Independent Journalist Benjamin Dangl's Coverage
reprints of the same article in various new sources:
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/17531
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/dangl030508.html

Vermont Peace Activists Occupy General Dynamics Weapons Plant

Written by Benjamin Dangl

Friday, 02 May 2008

On May 1st, International Workers’ Day, ten peace activists in Burlington, Vermont entered General Dynamics and locked themselves together in the main lobby of the building in protest against the company’s weapons manufacturing and war profiteering. University of Vermont student Benjamin Dube, one of the dozens of other activists present at the event, leaned out a window of the lobby, and pointed to the GD building, explaining, "This is the gas tank of the war machine, and we are the sugar." The demonstrators entered the lobby at around 3pm, and proceeded to lock their arms together with PVC piping, duct tape and other materials. According to a press release put out by the group, the activists were demanding that "General Dynamics stop giving campaign contributions to the politicians responsible for regulating it, stop making Gatling guns, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction and give back the $3.6 million dollars in Vermont tax breaks General Dynamics received in 2007." While activists at GD chanted slogans such as, "Hey GD, what do you say, how many kids did you kill today" and "GD out of the Middle East, No Justice, No Peace," banners against GD and the Iraq War were set up on three major streets and highways in the area. This anti-war action in Burlington took place at the same time thousands of dockworkers at 29 major ports across on the west coast refused to go to work in protest against the Iraq War. In March, Vermonters in Brattleboro and Marlboro passed a measure in town meetings to arrest George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for crimes against the constitution if they ever arrived in either town. Rachel Ruggles was one of the activists locked down in the GD lobby. Wearing a green bandana and glasses, this 19 year old from Vergennes, VT, and student at the University of Vermont, said "we are participating in this non-violent direct action to get attention and make a statement against the Iraq War, to say we don’t support GD’s war profiteering... GD is not contributing to the peace economy. The money from their tax breaks should go back to the Vermont community." Hydra-70 rockets (Wikipedia) General Dynamics is a national company whose branch in Burlington produces, among other things, Hydra-70 rockets and missile launchers. Mike Ives, a journalist with VT based Seven Days, wrote in March of this year that, according to General Dynamics company spokesperson Tim Haddock, GD employees in Burlington "manufacture the "Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System." The "Goalkeeper" is a 14,000-pound gun that's mounted to ships and can fire up to 4200 shots per minute of "missile-piercing" ammunition." According to Time Magazine, St. Louis-based General Dynamics is the top defense contractor in the US. The Bush administration’s "War on Terror" has been good for GD business. In 2007, GD’s revenues were $7.8 billion, with $382 million in profits, an increase of 33% since 1983. GD also has a particularly close relationship with the Pentagon; 94% of its contracts come from the US government. During 2007-2008, Vermont Democratic House Representative Peter Welch received $3,500 in donations from General Dynamics. An online petition in protest of this campaign contribution to Welch is available to sign here. While holding a bag of bread and fruit for those inside the lobby, bearded, 20 year old activist, Dube said "it’s becoming clear that after five years people are against the war. And throughout New England there are weapons manufacturers making it possible for the US to subjugate the Iraqis." He participated in the protest at GD in part because in spite of all the economic needs in the US, hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent in on the wars abroad. "Our government is not dealing with the problems in our economy and global warming, and at the same time we’re giving tax breaks to weapons manufacturers like GD." Regarding the importance of the group’s tactics, Dube said, "We are trying to renew the focus of anti-war activism more on the complicity of our communities in war." Peace activist Jonathan Leavitt was quoted in the press release as saying. "While our state struggles with [Governor] Jim Douglas’ budget cuts and layoffs, gas prices, affordable housing and lack of health coverage, war profiteers like General Dynamics steal tax breaks from working families. We’re here today as Vermonters to say no more handouts for war profiteers." Dozens of activists remained in and around the GD lobby for over six hours, chanting slogans, waving signs and sharing food. The protesters in the lobby said they would not leave the building until their demands were met. However, officials from GD refused to speak with the activists. Burlington Lt. Emmet Helrich said "Nobody from General Dynamics is going to talk to you, that’s a fact." The activists in the lobby were arrested at 8:45 when the police went in to cut them loose. Meanwhile, GD continues to reap enormous profits on the Bush administration’s wars. On May 2, the national company was awarded a $51 million dollar Abrams Tank contract. See this video of the May 1st action at General Dynamics in Burlington, VT. Filmed and edited by Sam Mayfield: For more information, see http://stopgeneraldynamics.blogspot.com/ Photos by Benjamin Dangl Fox News Coverage Burlington Free Press Coverage

Channel 5 Coverage

Channel 5 Coverage 
click link for video

Demonstrators Arrested At War Protest
Unlawful Trespass Charges Issued At General Dynamics' Burlington Plant

POSTED: 11:34 pm EDT May 1, 2008
UPDATED: 12:05 am EDT May 2, 2008
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BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Burlington police were called to the General Dynamics Armaments and Technical Products plant on Lakeside Avenue Thursday afternoon after a group of war protesters locked themselves inside the lobby of the building.

There were 10 protesters inside the building and an additional 10 to 15 outside.

Officers said they repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked the demonstrators to leave the interior of the building.

Additional personnel, and several members of the Burlington Fire Department were called to the scene.

The demonstrators inside the plant were eventually placed under arrest.

They had placed devices on their arms, locking them together. Police had to extract them before removing them.

They have all been processed on charges of unlawful trespass, and released.

They will be in court next week.

Have a comment about this story? E-mail our newsroom.

Copyright 2008 by WPTZ.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Fox 44 Coverage

Fox News Covers Burlington General Dynamics Protest

Burlington Free Press Coverage

Burlington Free Press Coverage of Burlington, VT General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Maine Protesters Blockade General Dynamics in Tax Day Protest

Published on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 by the Portland Press Herald (Maine)

by Jen Fish

SACO — Fifteen activists bound together by a mixture of roofing tar, chicken wire and nails wrapped around PVC piping were arrested Tuesday after trying to block the entrance to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products Co. Protesters play music and chant as state police move in to arrest them for blocking the entrance to General Dynamics. Many in the group are students at Colby College. (PPH Photo/John Patriquin) Police lead Tennessee Watson, left, and two other protesters away from the entrance of General Dynamics in Saco on Tuesday. (PPH Photo/Gregory Rec) Protesters Emily Posner, left, Susan Ellsworth, center, and Maia Campoamor embrace Tuesday after being released from the Saco Police Department. The women, roommates at Colby College, were charged with criminal trespassing. (PPH Photo/Gregory Rec) No one was hurt in the protest, which lasted about four hours. More than 30 police officers and firefighters used scissors and wire cutters to untangle the protesters enough to load them onto a waiting bus. Nearby, several dozen protesters chanted and sold cookies by the road for Veterans for Peace. The activists said they were there to raise awareness about the disparity between military and educational spending, as well as Maine's dependency on defense spending in its economy. Tax dollars, they argued, should be spent on teachers and social services, not the grenade launchers and machine guns produced by companies like General Dynamics. "We need an economy to support Mainers that doesn't produce weapons," said Tennessee Watson, one of the 15 arrested. "They have great union jobs at (General Dynamics), and I'm glad for the workers, but why do all the good jobs (come) tied to the military complex? What kind of future is that for kids and for this world?" The protesters, many of them students, came from various places in Maine and denied they were part of any organized group. Most of the arrested students attend Colby College in Waterville. Saco is unaccustomed to anti-military demonstrations despite General Dynamics' long-standing presence in the community. The plant has operated in Saco for more than 50 years, formerly under the name Saco Defense, but gained new attention recently because many of the weapons manufactured at the plant have been used in the war against Iraq. Although Maine has seen dozens of demonstrations since the war began, Tuesday's event involved a more elaborate form of civil disobedience than most other protests. "We knew that in order to cut through the news of the war . . . we had to do something undeniable," said Rob Fish, a protest organizer from Bar Harbor. The protest began shortly before 7 a.m. as workers were getting ready to report for another day at the plant. Traffic to the building was impeded, officials said, but not stopped. Many trucks simply drove around the protesters, leaving tire tracks in the ground along the pavement. Protesters chanted messages such as "Taxes for education, not militarization." The group numbered more than 40 people at one point and drew many onlookers, including students from Young Elementary School across the street. About 20 Maine state troopers were called to the scene and stood in riot gear in two lines around the protesters. Saco Police Chief Bradley Paul said he called for the troopers so police would be prepared for every contingency when they moved in to separate the group. Paul told the protesters at about 10:30 a.m. that they would be arrested if they did not move. The group tried to negotiate, asking to stay until 4 p.m., but Paul said that was not an option. "You have to leave now, I'm sorry," Paul told them. As police and firefighters prepared to separate the group, each person in the circle reaffirmed they were prepared to be removed and face charges of criminal trespassing. In the background, other activists sang and yelled encouragement to the 15 sitting on the ground. Police used a saw to cut through two metal drums that the protesters had linked their arms through. Towels were brought out to protect the faces of those sitting next to the drums. The bindings that the protesters used to attach themselves were decorated to look like crayons. Underneath were layers of duct tape and chicken wire mixed with roofing tar covering a piece of PVC pipe. Inside the pipe, the protesters were bound together by chains linked with spring-loaded rings so they could release themselves at any time. It took police about an hour to separate the group. In many cases, groups of three or four people were still attached to each other by one arm as they were put on a school bus to be transported to the police station. "It's worth it," Alec Aman of Ellsworth said as he sat on the bus. "It's worth it to draw attention to the fact that our federal government uses our federal tax dollars in outrageous disproportion toward the military compared to education." Aman's father, Tony Aman of Penobscot, snapped a picture of his son as he was put on the bus. "I support him absolutely," Tony Aman said. "He's standing up for what he believes in." Ken Morgan, a spokesman for General Dynamics, said another protest was held at the company's division headquarters in Burlington, Vt., on Tuesday afternoon. Neither protest disrupted the company's operations, he said. "Obviously, in our business, we're big believers in democracy and free speech," Morgan said. The 15 arrested protesters were released on personal recognizance, and are scheduled to appear May 22 in Biddeford District Court. As each emerged from the Saco police station Tuesday afternoon, they were greeted by cheers and singing from their fellow activists. "We accomplished what we wanted to do," said Fish. "Today was definitely not a normal day for General Dynamics. We got the word out that Mainers would rather support the schools than build another grenade launcher." Copyright © Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. ###

Protest at General Dynamics Burlington

Even More Media Coverage

Burlington Protesters to General Dynamics:
Get Out of Town

Posted by Mike Ives on March 19, 2008 at 06:00 PM in Politics, Serious News | Permalink

Just before 7 this morning, a few college-aged students blocked the entrance of a Lakeside Avenue parking lot belonging to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products. Its parent company, General Dynamics, "is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world," reports Sam Maron, a University of Vermont senior who coordinated the event. Maron showed up today "to make a stand and show that, as Vermonters, we want a peace economy, and not one based on war."

The event lasted about five hours and was attended by some two dozen supporters. Maron says he and others intended to cause "disruption" and "financial damage" to the company's operations. No arrests were made, and aside from a "brief traffic congestion," protesters didn't interrupt any business, according to Burlington Deputy Police Chief Walt Decker.

The Lakeside Avenue facility, which is located off Pine Street near the Burlington Department of Public Works, employs about 500 people and is the main facility among three Burlington-area offices. Other General Dynamics employees work a two nearby Burlington laboratories and the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. The building has been owned at various points by Queen City Cotton Mills, General Electric and Lockheed Martin, another major defense contractor.

Company spokesperson Tim Haddock reports that while the Burlington facilities are primarily used for engineering, company employees also manufacture the "Goalkeeper Close-In Weapon System." The "Goalkeeper" is a 14,000-pound gun that's mounted to ships and can fire up to 4200 shots per minute of "missile-piercing" ammunition. According to the Center for Media and Democracy, General Dynamics spent over $9 million in lobbying during 2006. Ssecurities and Exchange Commission filings confirm that between 2003 and 2007, the company's annual net earnings doubled, from about 1 to 2 billion.

Jennifer Berger, who directs the Burlington Peace & Justice Center's "Recruiting for Peace" campaign, says the protest was intended to raise a larger issue. In her view, General Dynamics' presence in Burlington contradicts the spirit of the town's reputation as a peaceful, environmentally responsible place. Haddock of General Dynamics declines to respond.

This morning's event was also intended to point a finger at Vermont's congressional delegation. In a few days, Maron will be sending a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asking him to withdraw his support for General Dynamics. Over the years, Leahy, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, has secured millions of dollars worth of defense contracts for the company.

Ever since the Iraq war began in 2003, Burlington activists have questioned the Vermont congressional delegation's stance on war funding. While all the candidates, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), are vocal critics of U.S. defense policy, they have all signed legislation that enables defense-related spending. House Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) who is up for reelection this November, has thus far accepted $3500 from General Dynamics in the 2007-2008 election cycle. "If Peter Welch wants to really live up to his words and show that he is against the Iraq war," says Maron, "he should return the money."

"I don't deal in any of that arena of campaign matters," says Welch Spokesperson Andrew Savage. "The congressman believes this war is a travesty and agrees with the protestors that it must be ended. Every chance he gets, he'll be voting on that."

"General Dynamics provides good Vermont jobs" and ensures "that our country has the defense it needs," he adds. Peter "completely agrees with the protesters that we have to end the war and the price tag associated with it. But the troops that don't have a vote in the war have to have what they need.'' Welch is a co-sponsor on a new bill, the Government Contractor Accountability Act of 2007, that "would impose oversight on contractors," Savage says.

Earlier today in Montpelier, activists broadcasted audio from the ongoing "Winter Soldier" hearings that were held last weekend in Washington, D.C.. "Winter Soldier" is an anti-war campaign being undertaken by anti-war Iraq veterans that closely mirrors a similar campaign from the 1970s. Earlier this month, four members of a local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War held a pre-D.C. event at the University of Vermont.

At 7 p.m. tonight, the Langdon Street Café in Montpelier hosts a community discussion entitled, "Beyond Iraq." For more information, call 476-3154.

New York Times Runs AP Story Includes Mention of VT GD Action

Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

An antiwar protester jumped over a barricade in front of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington.

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 19, 2008

Filed at 2:37 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Police arrested more than 30 people who blocked entrances at the Internal Revenue Service building Wednesday morning, part of a day of protests to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Demonstrators converged in big cities like Miami and San Francisco, and smaller towns in Vermont and Ohio, among others, to add their voices to a call to end the war.

A marching band led protesters down the street near the National Mall and around the IRS building before about 100 gathered at the main entrance. As police began the arrests, some protesters shouted ''This is a crime scene'' and ''You're arresting the wrong people.''

Brian Bickett, 29, was among the first arrested. The high school theater teacher from New York City said he had never engaged in civil disobedience before.

''We need to find lots of different ways to resist the war, and I decided to try this,'' he said.

The demonstrators said they were focusing on the IRS because it gathers taxes used to fund the war. A spokeswoman for the Federal Protective Service said 32 people were arrested.

About 150 people, mostly with the group Veterans for Peace, marched in Washington, many carrying upside-down American flags.

''That is the signal for distress at high sea and we feel the nation is in distress,'' said 68-year-old George Taylor, a Navy veteran from Takoma Park, Md. Taylor said he had been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.

''I'm proud of my country,'' he said. ''I'm proud of my service to my country. But I'm not proud of what my government is doing now.''

The marchers' first stop was the National Museum of the American Indian, where they were met by singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, who sang her Vietnam-era peace anthem ''Universal Soldier.''

Anti-war protests and vigils were planned around the nation. In Ohio, more than 20 vigils, rallies, marches and other events were planned.

At the American Petroleum Institute in downtown Washington, dozens of protesters held signs reading ''Out of Iraq'' and ''No war, no warming,'' and chanted ''No blood for Oil!''

Craig Etchison, 62, a retired college professor from Cumberland, Md., and a Vietnam veteran, said he has been protesting the war for years.

''I've watched with horror as Bush has lied about this war,'' he said. ''I'm appalled at the number of civilians we've killed just as we did in Vietnam.''

Protesters tried to block traffic, sitting in the street and linking arms. At least once, they were dragged away by police.

''This is the first time coordinated direct actions of civil disobedience are happening,'' Barbra Bearden, communications manager for the group Peace Action, said earlier of the Washington protests. ''People who have never done this kind of action are stepping up and deciding now is the time to do it.''

Meanwhile, a handful of people gathered at a nearby armed forces recruiting center, holding signs such as ''We support our brave military and their just mission.''

''We're out here to show support for our troops on the anniversary of the liberation of Iraq,'' said Kristinn Taylor, 45, of Washington.

In Miami, half a dozen anti-war protesters dressed in black placed flowers outside the U.S. Southern Command during rush-hour Wednesday morning.

''What happens in South Florida is part of what happens in Iraq,'' said Warren Hoskins, president of Miami for Peace, as he gestured toward the Southern Command. ''People who come through here may go to Guantanamo Bay but next they may go to Abu Ghraib.''

In Vermont, about 30 people protested in rain and sleet in front of defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. in Burlington on Wednesday morning, some locking arms to block workers from entering the parking lot.

Protester Jonathan Leavitt, 29, said he showed up ''to say no to war profiteering and yes to building a peace economy.''

The Iraq war has been unpopular both abroad and in the United States, although an Associated Press-Ipsos poll in December showed that growing numbers think the U.S. is making progress and will eventually be able to claim some success in Iraq.

The findings, a rarity in the unpopular war, came amid diminishing U.S. and Iraqi casualties and the start of modest troop withdrawals. Still, majorities remain upset about the conflict and convinced the invasion was a mistake, and the issue still splits the country deeply along party lines.

Activists cite frustration that the war has dragged on for so long and hope the more dramatic actions will galvanize others to protest.

------

Associated Press writers Karen Mahabir in Washington, John Christoffersen in New Haven, Conn., and Jennifer Kay and Laura Wides-Munoz in Miami contributed to this report.

Yahoo France Runs AP Story on Vermont GD Protest

Kelly Riel, left, of Burlington, Vt., and Cassy Gardner, center, joined about 30 protestors comprised of university students, high school students and

AP - Mercredi 19 mars, 19h15

Kelly Riel, left, of Burlington, Vt., and Cassy Gardner, center, joined about 30 protestors comprised of university students, high school students and community members blocking the driveway to General Dynamics in Burlington, Vt., Wednesday, March 19, 2008, in protest of the war in Iraq and to launch what the group is calling a "Peace economy and not war profiteering" campaign. (AP Photo/Alden Pellett)

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AP Wire Gives National Coverage to Burlington General Dynamics Civil Disobedience

Iraq war protesters arrested at IRS

By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer 55 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Police arrested more than 30 people who blocked entrances at the Internal Revenue Service building Wednesday morning, part of a day of protests to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Demonstrators converged in big cities like Miami and San Francisco, and smaller towns in Vermont and Ohio, among others, to add their voices to a call to end the war.

A marching band led protesters down the street near the National Mall and around the IRS building before about 100 gathered at the main entrance. As police began the arrests, some protesters shouted "This is a crime scene" and "You're arresting the wrong people."

Brian Bickett, 29, was among the first arrested. The high school theater teacher from New York City said he had never engaged in civil disobedience before.

"We need to find lots of different ways to resist the war, and I decided to try this," he said.

The demonstrators said they were focusing on the IRS because it gathers taxes used to fund the war. A spokeswoman for the Federal Protective Service said 32 people were arrested.

About 150 people, mostly with the group Veterans for Peace, marched in Washington, many carrying upside-down American flags.

"That is the signal for distress at high sea and we feel the nation is in distress," said 68-year-old George Taylor, a Navy veteran from Takoma Park, Md. Taylor said he had been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.

"I'm proud of my country," he said. "I'm proud of my service to my country. But I'm not proud of what my government is doing now."

The marchers' first stop was the National Museum of the American Indian, where they were met by singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, who sang her Vietnam-era peace anthem "Universal Soldier."

Anti-war protests and vigils were planned around the nation. In Ohio, more than 20 vigils, rallies, marches and other events were planned.

At the American Petroleum Institute in downtown Washington, dozens of protesters held signs reading "Out of Iraq" and "No war, no warming," and chanted "No blood for Oil!"

Craig Etchison, 62, a retired college professor from Cumberland, Md., and a Vietnam veteran, said he has been protesting the war for years.

"I've watched with horror as Bush has lied about this war," he said. "I'm appalled at the number of civilians we've killed just as we did in Vietnam."

Protesters tried to block traffic, sitting in the street and linking arms. At least once, they were dragged away by police.

"This is the first time coordinated direct actions of civil disobedience are happening," Barbra Bearden, communications manager for the group Peace Action, said earlier of the Washington protests. "People who have never done this kind of action are stepping up and deciding now is the time to do it."

Meanwhile, a handful of people gathered at a nearby armed forces recruiting center, holding signs such as "We support our brave military and their just mission."

"We're out here to show support for our troops on the anniversary of the liberation of Iraq," said Kristinn Taylor, 45, of Washington.

In Miami, half a dozen anti-war protesters dressed in black placed flowers outside the U.S. Southern Command during rush-hour Wednesday morning.

"What happens in South Florida is part of what happens in Iraq," said Warren Hoskins, president of Miami for Peace, as he gestured toward the Southern Command. "People who come through here may go to Guantanamo Bay but next they may go to Abu Ghraib."

In Vermont, about 30 people protested in rain and sleet in front of defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. in Burlington on Wednesday morning, some locking arms to block workers from entering the parking lot.

Protester Jonathan Leavitt, 29, said he showed up "to say no to war profiteering and yes to building a peace economy."

The Iraq war has been unpopular both abroad and in the United States, although an Associated Press-Ipsos poll in December showed that growing numbers think the U.S. is making progress and will eventually be able to claim some success in Iraq.

The findings, a rarity in the unpopular war, came amid diminishing U.S. and Iraqi casualties and the start of modest troop withdrawals. Still, majorities remain upset about the conflict and convinced the invasion was a mistake, and the issue still splits the country deeply along party lines.

Activists cite frustration that the war has dragged on for so long and hope the more dramatic actions will galvanize others to protest.

___

Associated Press writers Karen Mahabir in Washington, John Christoffersen in New Haven, Conn., and Jennifer Kay and Laura Wides-Munoz in Miami contributed to this report.

Confronting General Dynamics

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS Jen Berger, 36, of Burlington shouts in protest to the war in Iraq at a peace rally in front of General Dynamics in Burlington on Wednesday March 19, 2008 - the five year anniversary of the US occupation in Iraq. EMILY J. NELSON, Free Press Iraq at Five THE DISILLUSIONED: Iraq veteran never meant to be an activist THE GUARD: Iraq transformed soldiers, Guard, veterans say THE MOTHER: Time deepens grief; extends family Guard prepares for deployment within 2 years No end in sight? 5 years in Iraq A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Protesters stage rally at General Dynamics

Published: Wednesday, March 19, 2008
BURLINGTON -- A group of demonstrators that included University of Vermont students held a protest rally this morning at General Dynamics on Lakeside Avenue.

Burlington police were on the scene before 8 a.m., monitoring the event.

In a news release, students said they planned to "come together to engage in non-violent civil disobedience and hold a rally at war-profiteer General Dynamics' Weapons Development and Design Facility to protest the theft of millions of Vermont tax dollars to support General Dynamics."

Under the banner "Peace Economy not War Profiteering", students say, protesters are calling on General Dynamics to immediately cease receiving corporate welfare in the form of Vermont Tax Subsidies.

UVM students say they have called on their Alma Mater to divest it's investment in General Dynamics.

"As a UVM student I was outraged to learn my tuition dollars and tax dollars were being invested in the production of Weapons of Mass Destruction at General Dynamics," said UVM student Sam Maron. "UVM's identity as a green university is shallow and empty until it refuses to do business with war profiteers like General Dynamics that parasitically steal from the American economy”.

Protest at General Dynamics

Protest General Dynamics 7:30am Wed. March 19

Please Forward Widely!

Take a sick day to show the war profiteers how sick you are of their Iraq Recession!

Protest at General Dynamics

Pine St and Lakeside Ave
Burlington, VT
7:30am Wed. March 19
The 5th anniversary of the Iraq War

Picket war profiteers! General Dynamics is the world’s 6th largest war profiteer, profiting off the death and destruction of the US’ illegal occupation of Iraq, $27 billion last year alone, while simultaneously taking millions in tax breaks from VT. We want a Peace Economy, not an Iraq Recession! At the close of the 5th year of war, we say NOT HERE, NOT ANYWHERE!

If you are not in Burlington there are protests and nonviolent civil disobedience happening around the country and around the world. Find the one closest to you here: http://events.unitedforpeace.org/5yearstoomany